Radiator



Oct. 16, 1951 L. D. WALDRON 2,571,505

RADIATOR v Filed June 2, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 FIG.6

INVENTOR LOUIS D. WALDRON ATT'YS Oct. 16, 1951 1.. D. WALDRON 2,571,505

I RADIATOR Filed June 2, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 E 10 5 u 3 FIG. 9 41' x:/V

s7 41 I FIG. l0

FIG. l6

. INVENTOR LOUIS D. WALDRON Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE RADIATOR Louis D. Waldron, Arlington, Mass. Application June 2,1948, Serial No. 30,702

This invention relates to radiators and'has for an object to produceradiators of the fintype but in which thefins can be appliedto pipesalready installed, thereby to increase the radiation without requiringremoval of piping or substitution of equipment. To this end increasedradiation surface is produced by the use of sheet fin material so formedand arranged that it can be applied to pipes already installed.

The radiation material may thus comprise sheet metal bent on itself andso cut out at the bend as to permit it to be placed in position on thepipe by a backward lateral motion, after which it may be secured by keymeans which engage the fin material at one side of the bend and on'theopposite side against the pipe opposite to the face at which the finmaterial was applied. If desired, the key itself may be so formed as tofacilitate radiation.

For a complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had tothe accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of astripof' sheet metal cut in a manner to permit it to be bent to form theradiation fins and applied to the pipe.-

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the strip of Figure 1 bentalternatelyin opposite directions to form a metal-fin structure forapplication to a pipe.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the fin material of Figure 2 applied to apipe.

Figure 4 is a detail section to a larger scale on'line 44 of Figure 3. I

' Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the fin materialopened up somewhat from the showing of Figure 3.

- Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4, but- Figure 9 is a viewsimilar to Figure 3, but

showing a modification.

Figure 10 is an end elevation of the radiator element shown in Figure9,'but to a larger scale, the position of the wedge for securing theele-' ment to a pipe being indicated in dotted lines.

"Figure 11 is a sectional view on line lll| of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the upper edge ofthe element of Figures 9 to 11,inc1usive,'and a locking wedge.

5 Claims. 01. 257262.18)

Figure 13 Ba fragmentary perspective View of the same element.

Figures 14 and 15 are fragmentary perspective views similar to Figure'7, but showing modifications in the wedge structure.

Figure 16 is a side elevation showing the element of Figures 1 to 8,inclusive, in condition for shipment. Y

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a strip of heatconducting sheet material I, such, for example, as metal, within whichmay be cut slots 2 spaced apart lengthwise thereof and of somewhatgreater depth than width and each having rounded ends 3. The sheetmaterial may then be bent alternately in opposite directions at aboutthe dotted line positions 4 to form a zigzag structure as shown inFigure 2 having two series of bends at 5 and 6 arranged in substantiallyparallel planes. The slots 2 then form notches extending into the sheetmaterial strip from the bends 5 and terminating in rounded extremitiessuch that the strip may be placed over a pipe to, as shown in Figure 4,the pipe entering the notches through the bent portions 5. If desired,also, the inner curved ends of the notches may be slit at desired closeintervals as at I I to furnish weakened tongues, which may give wayunder pressure exerted between the strip and the pipe tending to forcethe strip onto the pipe, such that these weakened portions may bedeflected in one or the other direction longitudinally of the .pipe,increasing the total area of contact between the pipe and the sheetmaterial and thus acting to improve heat conductivity therebetween.

Figure 16 shows the strip with its folded portions pressed closelytogether, which is aform in which the sheet material may be placed forease of shipment and which, if desired, may be made up from the uncutsheet material, whereupon the notches are cut inwardly from one sidealong the bends of that side, as, for example, through the bends alongthe side 30. When the closely folded element, such asis shown in Figure16, is to be applied to the pipe, the adjacent layers are spread apartas shown, for example, in Figures The bent sheet may be secured to thepipe by suitable key means such as the key l4 shown in Figure 4 which ispassed down on the inner side of the bends 5 bearing between theadjacent faces of the sheet material and the back face I5 of the pipe.Since the diameter of the pipe is substantially equal to the width ofthe notches and the notches are deeper than these widths,

the bends extend beyond the pipe edge remote from the bases of thenotches, this providing room for the keys to be inserted therebetweenand with the strips engaging the pipe throughout approximately one halfof its circumference. By hooking over the upper ends of the keys theymay be held in position by gravity. The ends of the sheet metalradiation elements may be secured in position by any suitable means, as,for example, by being bent over and retained by rings 20 which may beclamped about the pipe I0.

Where the adjacent bent portions of the strip are to be spaced quitewidely apart as shown in Figure 5, it is preferable that the inner endsof the notches, which may be formed by the slots 2, be elliptical inoutline as illustrated in Figure 6 since the planes of the fin structurethen intersect the pipe in sections of this contour. This is shown inFigure 6.

In place of employing a wire or rod M as the key element, key elementswhich may add to the radiating area may be employed, and to this end a Tsection key 25, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, may be employed, such a keypresenting a rearwardly extending radiating fin 26 from a base flange 2!which may engage the pipe. Also, in order to facilitate securing the finmaterial tightly on the pipe, the keys may be tapered as shown in Figure6, acting as wedges to force the fin material tightly against the outerface of the pipe. Where a T section key is employed, a cross pin 28 atits upper portion may serve to prevent the key from being driven too fardownwardly and acting as a limit to prevent accidental detachment of thekey from operative positions.

While as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5, the fin material is formed ofsheet stock bent alternately in opposite directions so that a pluralityof pairs of fins are formed from a single piece, of course the finscould be individual in pairs, including one of the bends 5 and theadjacent sides of the fin material without being continuous one with theother around the bends 6 (Figure 8).

In Figures 9 to 13, a modified construction of radiator element has beenillustrated, in which instead of forming the walls at the sides of thebends in zigzag, non-parallel arrangement as is shown in Figures 3 and5, the bends 35 and 36 are formed more gradually and the portions 31between the bends are brought into substantially parallel relation, thisproviding a structure such as is shown in Figure 9 Where adjacentportions of the radiating fin material formed by the sheet metal arearranged substantially perpendicular to the length of the pipe III towhich the radiator is applied.

The notches 40 which are cut inwardly through the bends along one sideof the element are provided with tongues 4| at their bases, cut from thesheet material, and preferably bent so as to lie nearly at right anglesto the planes of the portions 31, so that when the element is applied tothe pipe and pulled tightly thereagainst by the use of wedge keyelements 44, the tongues 4| are pulled into contact with the surface ofthe pipe Ill, thus to increase the heat conductivity between the pipeand the radiating element. This wedging action tends to spring thetongues 4| into engagement with the pipe throughout substantially theirfull lengths and away from the slightly inclined relation which theyassumed before application to the pipe. This is shown in Figure 11 wherethe left hand tongue 4| is slightly out of perpendicular relation to theportions 31, the tongue being pulled into substantial perpendicularrelation by enga ement with the pipe as shown in the right handillustration of the tongue.

While Figure 7 shows a cross pin 28 to limit the extent to which thewedge member 26 may be driven in wedging direction, somewhat simplermeans, as, for example, cut and deflected portions of the keys, areshown in Figure 12 at 42 for the same purpose. Similarly where keys of Tcross section, as shown in Figures 6 and 'l are to be used, these alsomay be provided with portions partly split and bent therefrom, as at 43in Figures 14 and 15, to limit the extent to which the wedges may bedriven in wedging direction by engagement with the adjacent edge of thesheet material.

From the foregoing description of certain embodiments of this invention.it should be evident to those skilled in the art that furthermodifications might be made without departing from its spiritor scope.

I claim:

1. In combination, a pipe, a radiator element comprising a piece of heatconductive sheet material bent on itself to form a plurality of spacedfins joined at one side by the bent portion, said piece being notchedinwardly from one side through the bent portion to a depth greater thanthe diameter of said pipe to engage at said notch partly around saidpipe, and a key bearing on said element at the inner face of the bendand engaging the opposite side of the pipe from the base of said notchfor securing said element to said pipe.

2. In combination, a pipe, a radiator element comprising a piece of heatconductive sheet material bent on itself to form a plurality of spacedfins joined at one side by the bent portions, said piece being notchedinwardly from one side through the bent portion to a depth greater thanthe diameter of said pipe to engage at said notch around a pipeextending through said notch, and a key bearing on said element at theinner face of the bend and engaging the opposite side of the pipe fromthe base of said notch for securing said element to said pipe, said keyhaving a fin portion extending outwardly from said pipe to provide aradiating surface therefor.

3. In combination, a pipe, a radiator element comprising a piece of heatconductive sheet material bent on itself to form a plurality of spacedfins joined at one side by the bent portion, said piece being notchedinwardly from one side through the bent portion to a depth greater thanthe diameter of said pipe to engage at said notch partly around saidpipe, and a key bearing on said element at the inner face of the bendand engaging the opposite side of the pipe from the base of said notchfor securing said element to said pipe, said key having a fin portionextending outwardly from said pipe to provide a radiating surfacetherefor and being tapered lengthwise to act as a wedge to tighten saidsheet material piece against the surface of said pipe.

4. A radiator fin element comprising a strip of heat conducting sheetmaterial bent on itself alternately in opposite directions, said elementbeing notched inwardly through the bends along one side, said notchesbeing deeper than their widths, whereby said element may be placed withits notches engaging over a pipe lying in said notches and of a diametersubstantially equal to the widths of said notches and be held thereon bykeys engaging with one face of said bends 5 and lying between the bendsand the pipe on the notched side of said strip.

5. A radiator fin element comprising a strip of heat conducting sheetmaterial bent on itself alternately in opposite directions, said elementbeing notched inwardly through the bends along one side, said notchesbeing deeper than their widths, whereby said element may be placed withits notches engaging over a pipe lying in said notches and of a diametersubstantially 10 said notches being shaped to engage said pipes 152,480,427

throughout substantially a semi-circumference thereof.

-- LOUIS D. WALDRON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 440,671 Weisel Nov. 18, 18901,460,772 Todd July 3, 1923 1,788,516 Gannon Jan. 13, 1931 1,885,536Murray Nov. 1, 1932 Stanton Aug. 30, 1949

